


Living on Hope

by impossible123



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Scene, Episode AU: s09e07-08 The Zygon Invasion/The Zygon Inversion, Episode: s09e08 The Zygon Inversion, Extra Scene, Gen, Introspection, always torturing Clara, horrible turn, ptsd choking trigger?, whouffaldi, whouffaldi fluff?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:13:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24357109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/impossible123/pseuds/impossible123
Summary: Bonnie interrogates Clara; it takes a horrible turn for the worst for Clara."AU" zygon inversion; alternate scene.may have a ptsd choking/ breathlessness trigger?
Relationships: Twelfth Doctor & Clara Oswin Oswald, Twelfth Doctor/Clara Oswin Oswald
Comments: 6
Kudos: 25





	1. Moments to live

**Author's Note:**

> HI! Hope everyone is safe and well!
> 
> This is a small 2-parter I had written aaaaages ago! I uncovered it and tried making it a bit more presentable. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy it!

"Thank you Clara for all the valuable information," Bonnie said with a malicious smile. That tone of voice; trying to make Clara feel inferior and submissive to the zygon duplicate. The companion wanted to behave as indifferent as possible. But she wasn't ready to die... Not like this... "Frankly, it comes by that I don't need you anymore." The zygon continued. 

Clara had known from the beginning it wasn't going to end well. She did hope that she had at least some control over the situation. But Bonnie knew the weak points of any original being. Even though Bonnie did not _actually_ hold all the information, she thought she had everything she needed to conquer the World.

And that was enough for the duplicate.

Clara felt tears brimming to her eyes, but she tried to stay strong. Needless to say, it wasn't going to be easy. The companion felt helpless as she knew she could do nothing from inside her pod that would prevent Bonnie from killing her. She could control Bonnie to a certain degree. But even that was going to be difficult.

Clara's heartbeat sped up involuntary. "You're scared?" Bonnie chuckled as she looked at her own wrist, feeling the companion's heartbeat strong against the zygon's skin. "So very scared... And you have every right to be."

The companion watched as Bonnie's fingers left her wrist and searched around the pod until she found a valve, which she shut closed. The zygon looked at the pod window, looking at Clara's face; flesh and blood, her peaceful expression, which was anything but what was happening in the girl's mind at that exact moment. "Say your last words, Clara Oswald, before you perish with the rest of the world." Continued Bonnie with the most vicious grin.

Clara had learnt from the Doctor; that there was always a way to fix things, even if it felt impossible. It was a hope that was entrenched into her heart and mind.

But all hope was fading from her...

"You'll never win," Clara said, as her voice was on the verge of cracking. "Even if you kill me and think you've conquered the world, it will never be as easy."

_Even if you kill me...._

"If you say so, but _your_ battle's already won over by death." Bonnie grinned. "I'll have pleasure in watching your beloved Doctor crying over your lifeless body." Warm tears slipped down her cheeks. So warm to the touch, that she might have been actually physically crying. "Don't worry. I'll let him know that you died fighting. Fighting for him. That's some valuable consolation, innit?" Her laugh rung through the imaginary corridors in Clara's imaginary flat. Clara's heart was shattered by what her duplicate had said. She'd be better off forgotten in this pod than the Doctor finding her dead body. God knows what massacre he would do. "Oh... and one last thing before I leave." The zygon continued. "I have to admit you were quite clever, Clara. I haven't heard of anyone being able to be somewhat conscious in a pod. Let that make you proud to have died fighting." Bonnie sighed, before letting her eyes bore into Clara's. "Strong. But not enough." Static appeared once again on the television.

Rule #1 for survival:

_Don't._

_panic._

Just think.

What would the Doctor do had he been the one trapped instead of her?

_Use your stubborn mind, Clara_. She heard the Doctor tell her. _Your mind is yours. Use it._

Right.

_Never cruel or cowardly._

_Don't let emotions eliminate all the options you have to survive. Desperation may be detrimental to survival. Don't think about it._

_How are you going...._

_to win?_

Right... first thing's first....

Clara wiped the tear streaks on her cheeks with the back of her hands. 

_Use the air you have left wisely, Clara. Panicking would only decrease your oxygen supply. Let the adrenaline from through your head; yes. But don't hyperventilate or go into "sending mental goodbyes" mode._

_I need to find Clara Oswald alive. I need_ you _alive, Clara._

Clara immersed herself deeply into thought, trying to wake herself up.

_Come on..._

_come on..._

_wake up, damn it!_

Never give up and never give in. The Doctor was coming for her. Yes... yes he was coming for her. He fixed things... that's his job. And he was going to come for her last-minute ("Never late, never early, Clara Oswald. I'm a _timelord_ I'm exactly where I need to be at the right time.").

Clara smiled just a little at the memory.

Clumsy daft man. She couldn't wait to see his old face again. She just had to hold on a _little_ longer.

But she was so darn scared.

And yet, after all, fear was a superpower.

Right?

But with a city reeking with zygons, it was hardly easy to pass through London unscathed.

A wider, cheeky smile formed on the girl's lips. 

The Doctor though? He knew how to get through. 

She shook the thoughts from her mind (those few thoughts were enough to make her keep on fighting. To live.) and focused back on trying to wake herself up.

She tried and tried again, with no apparent success.

Just then, a thought struck,

_The mobile phone._

She did the same thing as before and tried to concentrate as hard as she could. The companion closed her eyes, calmed down as much as she could. The companion pulled the small smartphone from her left coat pocket, unlocked it (2013; the year she saved the Doctor), opened the messaging app, typed Osgood's number and started typing on the imaginary phone.

**_Basement flat._ **

The lights in her apartment were flickering as Clara felt it harder to breathe.

Now she was in soooo much trouble.

_Concentrate, Clara._ She heard the Doctor say in her head. The _last few seconds. Just enough to send a clear message for me to come and get you._

She continued to text.

_**Quick.** _

Clara held to the sofa as she hit the send button as her vision blurred. She felt weaker and dizzier before collapsing to the floor, just after and her eyes threatened to flicker and flutter shut.

_God knows if that message was sent at all, now that Bonnie knew that Clara was trying her utmost to fight back._

But she knew, oh... How she hoped... the Doctor was already on his way. He was close, she would almost... _feel_ it.

She started seeing what Clara thought were tiny hazy dark orbs, which then turned into small stars, as everything around her started fading into darkness.

She started losing more and more details. The newspaper was a blur as well as the photos she had close to her tv set. 

Her mind construct was failing and crumbling.

Clara had escaped so many dangers; daleks, cybermen, ice warriors, spoonheads...

Maybe this was going to be her final hurrah, the last fragment of her life slipping away.

But at least she agreed with Bonnie on one thing.

She'd die fighting. 

No, she mustn't give up that easily.

It was going to be OK.

_Doctor, please Doctor come soon._

_Please..._

She pleaded and hoped before she was engulfed by darkness.


	2. Borrowed Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor receives Clara's message. Will he get to her soon enough? Or would it be too late?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After 4 and a half billion years waiting (sorry, had to add that in) we finally have the 2nd and last chapter of this Zygon 2-parter!  
> Terribly sorry for the delay.... I was struggling to finish this chapter but finally... I am satisfied enough to post it :) 
> 
> Hope you'll enjoy it :)

The Doctor swivelled the car right in front of the basement flat entrance. 

_Clara... Clara... he had to save her._

He jumped out of the car followed by Kate and Osgood. 

_Basement flat. Quick._

That was Clara's message; received a few minutes ago.

The time lord could almost feel Clara's panic through that short message. 

_He hoped against hope that those wouldn't be her last words._

Gears ground in his mind; clearly in hyperdrive.

He had to be as fast as he could. What if her life was hanging by a thread? What if he's seconds late, and he would lose her?

No..... he can't lose her. Not his Clara. 

The trio ran to the elevator, the Doctor desperately pressing the button at the side of his sonic sunglasses, the elevator opening just a few seconds after. 

They hastily entered, the Doctor sonicing the buttons; commanding the elevator to take them to the basement as fast as possible. The elevator closed and the lights flickered.

_Good, they were going down._

"Hang on, Clara". He muttered. "I'm coming for you."

_Damn... this elevator couldn't work any faster!_

It felt like an eternity. 

_As it probably felt for Clara._

At last, the elevator door opened and the Doctor ran through the humid, putrid environment. 

His mind raced.

"Kate, where is she?" The time lord breathed as he ran, sonicing every pod for signs of his companion. 

"There." She said with short breath as she pointed to a pod in a corner before running after the time lord. The Doctor arrived first and looked through the glass. Clara's breathing was staggered. Quick sonic check. _Thank God. Still fighting._ If there wasn't any yellowish light, he would have been able to see her skin hinting at a white-bluish hue, and yet she still fought to breathe. He quickly pocketed his sunglasses. 

"She's suffocating her." Said Osgood as she looked at the valve.

"Quick!" The Doctor and Osgood opened the pod and removed the top. 

Clara wheezed a long breath as she slumped against the time lord. The Doctor held her close to him, hugged her as Clara began coughing.

"Breathe." He smoothed her back. "Breathe, I'm right here. The Doctor's here." He let out a sigh of relief. _Just in time._

Clara, fortunately began stabilizing and her eyes fluttered open, seeing Osgood and Kate first since her head was resting on his shoulder. She pulled the Doctor away weakly. 

"Hello, Clara." He purred, that statement accompanied by his soft, yet sad smile. The back of his fingers passed over her cheek. 

"Doctor." The companion was on the verge of tears. Clara couldn't hold them back in any way. And the Doctor didn't judge her. After all, she was almost going to be killed. And the worst part? Bonnie made sure that she would die slowly and painfully as possible.

"It's fine. Don't you worry. You're safe." Said the Doctor as he rubbed her arms, warming her up.

"Thank you." Clara blinked her tears away. She wrapped her arms around his neck as the Doctor wrapped his around her waist and heaved her up from the pod, landing on the ground.

The Doctor kept on gazing at Clara, seeing her recover from the ordeal she had just been through. He swiftly passed his thumb along her cheekbone, removing tears which might have escaped. She was reasonably distressed. Clars thought she had everything under control and suddenly, things went horribly bad. "My goodness Clara," he hugged her once again, her head locked under his chin. "I could've lost you." His scent and warmth brought comfort to the young companion, but a thought couldn't stop nagging her.

"Doctor?" She pulled away, her eyes locked into his. "Time lord or zygon?" 

The time lord found it hard to believe as soon as he heard her remark. But, at the same time, he understood her. Of course... He of most people should understand... After thinking Zygella was Clara all along. She had her form, her voice, her thoughts, her memories... 

The Doctor's thin lips curled into a soft, comforting smile, as his fingers combed through her short hair. "I can't give you any proof, Clara. I just need you to believe me." The love in his eyes pierced her eyes. No zygon could replicate that. "And after all, why would a zygon go against zygella's plan to stop her...?" The Doctor looked away. He couldn't continue. The time lord didn't want to even think about it; about Bonnie wanting to end Clara's life. Had he been a few minutes late, the Doctor would have found her-

She felt him crumbling in front of her. Her fingers curled to his jumper to stop him from going down an emotional spiral. He was looked at her eyes for comfort; letting himself be swallowed by them. "I accept your judgement." Her fiery red lips also curled into a smile, which made the Doctor grin; forgetting all the negative thoughts which he previously had. Goodness, he was such an idiot in love sometimes. 

He lowered down to plant a soft kiss on her forehead. His voice clearly formed in her mind through the connection. _I'm so sorry, Clara, I shouldn't have let you out of my sight._

"Don't worry now, Doctor. I'm here... That's all that matters. We have other problems on our hands." Clara looked at Kate and Osgood behind the Doctor, which looked rightfully very panicked.

"So," the Doctor said as he let his arms slip off of Clara's frail body. "where did Zygella go?" 

"Black archive." Clara murmured before looking at the floor. 

She had failed. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be, you held her away for long enough. You couldn't do more than you already did." His palm rested on her shoulder, giving her yet another sad smile. "Now let's go." And all walked hurriedly to the elevator.

"But I bet she's going to be very frustrated when she goes there." Laughed Clara.

The Doctor gave her a quizzical look. "Why?" 

"She has no idea that there are 2 Osgood boxes." Said Clara.

"Then we'd better hurry, before she threatens to destroy everything." He offered Clara his hand, which she immediately accepted, before the pair ran to the flat escalator, followed by Kate and Osgood. They entered the lift, the pair still having their fingers intertwined.

As the elevator went up, Clara's fingers tightened slightly around his to get his attention. The Doctor picked up his companion's strongest thought. _Thanks, Doctor, for coming for me._

His thumb stroked hers, her skin so warm and soft. 

_Thank you for hanging on, Clara Oswald._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This concludes the story! Hope this chapter was worth the wait! As always, feedback is appreciated! Will hopefully be updating my WIP 'In the Hands of the Enemy' very very soon!  
> Till then, take care!

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed it! Feel free to leave feedback and constructive criticism. Hopefully, I'll be able to update asap! Also, would love to know if any of you are excited for the second part!


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